إِنّيindeed I أَرِقتُlay sleepless وَذِكرُand remembrance of المَوتِdeath أَرَّقَنيkept me awake
إِنّي أَرِقتُ وَذِكرُ المَوتِ أَرَّقَني
وَقُلتُand I said لِلدَمعِto tears أَسعِدنيhelp me فَأَسعِدنيso it helped me
وَقُلتُ لِلدَمعِ أَسعِدني فَأَسعِدني
I lay sleepless, and remembrance of death kept me awake.
I stay awake, death's memory deprives me of sleep
And I said to tears, "Help me," and they helped me.
And I say to my tears, "Delight me!" So delight me!
ياO مَنone who يَموتُdies فَلَمyet did not تُحزِنهُgrieve him ميتَتُهُhis death
يا مَن يَموتُ فَلَم تُحزِنهُ ميتَتُهُ
وَمَنand whoever يَموتُdies فَماthen how أَولاهُdeserving he is بِالحَزَنِof sorrow
وَمَن يَموتُ فَما أَولاهُ بِالحَزَنِ
O you who will die, yet whose death has not grieved you,
O he who dies, yet his death does not grieve him,
and whoever dies—how deserving he is of sorrow!
And he who dies - how little he frets and mourns!
تَبغيyou seek النَجاةَdeliverance مِنَfrom الأَجداثِthe graves مُحتَرِساًkeeping guard
تَبغي النَجاةَ مِنَ الأَجداثِ مُحتَرِساً
وَإِنَّماyet in truth أَنتَyou وَالعِلّاتُand ailments فيin قَرَنِa shared tether
وَإِنَّما أَنتَ وَالعِلّاتُ في قَرَنِ
You seek escape from the graves, keeping guard,
You seek to be saved from misfortunes playing it safe,
yet you and ailments are bound by one tether.
Yet you and mishaps are yoked together.
ياO صاحِبَbearer of الروحِthe soul ذيpossessing الأَنفاسِbreaths فيin بَدَنِa body
يا صاحِبَ الروحِ ذي الأَنفاسِ في بَدَنِ
بَينَbetween النَهارِday وَبَينَand between اللَيلِnight مُرتَهَنِheld hostage
بَينَ النَهارِ وَبَينَ اللَيلِ مُرتَهَنِ
O bearer of a breathing soul within a body,
O you, the soul that breathes through a body
held hostage between day and night,
Held hostage between night and day.
لَقَلَّماindeed, seldom يَتَخَطّاكَpasses you by اِختِلافُهُماtheir alternation
لَقَلَّما يَتَخَطّاكَ اِختِلافُهُما
حَتّىuntil يُفَرِّقَit separates بَينَbetween الروحِthe soul وَالبَدَنِand the body
حَتّى يُفَرِّقَ بَينَ الروحِ وَالبَدَنِ
their alternation seldom leaves you untouched,
Rarely do they differ without separating
until it parts the soul from the body.
The soul from the body.
طيبُthe sweetness of الحَياةِlife لِمَنfor one whose خَفَّتbecame light مَؤونَتُهُhis upkeep
طيبُ الحَياةِ لِمَن خَفَّت مَؤونَتُهُ
وَلَمand did not تَطِبbecome sweet لِذَويfor those with الأَثقالِheavy burdens وَالمُؤَنِand expenses
وَلَم تَطِب لِذَوي الأَثقالِ وَالمُؤَنِ
Life's sweetness is for one whose upkeep is light,
Life is sweetest when need is little,
and it is not sweet for those with burdens and expenses.
Not sweet to those heavily burdened.
لَمdid not يَبقَremain مِمّاof what مَضىhas passed إِلّاexcept تَوَهُّمُهُthe imagining of it
لَم يَبقَ مِمّا مَضى إِلّا تَوَهُّمُهُ
كَأَنَّas though مَنone who قَدalready مَضىdeparted بِالأَمسِyesterday لَمdid not يَكُنِexist
كَأَنَّ مَن قَد مَضى بِالأَمسِ لَم يَكُنِ
Nothing remains of what has passed but its image in the mind,
Nothing remains of the past but fancy,
as though one who departed yesterday had never existed.
As though he who died yesterday did not exist.
وَإِنَّماand only المَرءُa person فيin الدُنياthe world بِساعَتِهِin his hour
وَإِنَّما المَرءُ في الدُنيا بِساعَتِهِ
سائِلask بِذالِكَabout that أَهلَthe people of العِلمِknowledge بِالزَمَنِabout time
سائِل بِذالِكَ أَهلَ العِلمِ بِالزَمَنِ
And a person in this world has only his present hour.
Man's life lies only in the present moment,
Ask those versed in time about that.
That's why I ask the learned about time.
ماhow أَوضَحَclear الأَمرَthe matter لِلمُلقيto one bringing to bear بِعِبرَتِهِhis reflective insight
ما أَوضَحَ الأَمرَ لِلمُلقي بِعِبرَتِهِ
بَينَamong التَفَكُّرِthought وَالتَجريبِand experience وَالفِطَنِand insights
بَينَ التَفَكُّرِ وَالتَجريبِ وَالفِطَنِ
How clear the matter is to one who brings his reflection to bear,
How clearly it shows the moral to the wise
amid thought, experience, and insight.
Through pondering, experience and wit!
أَلَستَare you not ياO ذاyou there تَرىseeing الدُنياthe world مُوَلِّيَةًturning away
أَلَستَ يا ذا تَرى الدُنيا مُوَلِّيَةً
فَماthen what يَغُرُّكَbeguiles you فيهاin it مِنof هَنٍa thing وَهَنِand another thing
فَما يَغُرُّكَ فيها مِن هَنٍ وَهَنِ
Do you not, you there, see the world turning away?
Don't you see how the world is fickle?
What, then, beguiles you in it—this thing and that?
Why are you fooled by its softness and luxury?
لَأَعجَبَنَّI shall surely marvel وَأَنّيand how يَنقَضيcomes to an end عَجَبيmy wonder
لَأَعجَبَنَّ وَأَنّي يَنقَضي عَجَبي
الناسُpeople فيin غَفلَةٍheedlessness وَالمَوتُand death فيon سَنَنِa course
الناسُ في غَفلَةٍ وَالمَوتُ في سَنَنِ
I shall surely marvel—and how can my wonder end?
I wonder, wonder till wonder amazes me -
People are heedless, while death keeps to its course.
People oblivious while death follows its laws!
وَظاعِنٍand many a departing one مِنof بَياضِthe whiteness of الرَيطِlinen sheets كُسوَتُهُhis clothing
وَظاعِنٍ مِن بَياضِ الرَيطِ كُسوَتُهُ
مُطَيَّبٍperfumed لِلمَناياfor death غَيرِnot مُدَّهِنِanointing himself with oil
مُطَيَّبٍ لِلمَنايا غَيرِ مُدَّهِنِ
And many a departing one whose garb is white linen,
His clothes are white raiment, pleasing to die in
perfumed for death, without anointing himself with oil:
Unointed, unembalmed.
غادَرتُهُI left him بَعدَafter تَشيِيعَيهِmy escorting him مُنجَدِلاًlying prostrate
غادَرتُهُ بَعدَ تَشيِيعَيهِ مُنجَدِلاً
فيin قُربِnearness to دارٍa dwelling وَفيand in بُعدٍdistance مِنَfrom الوَطَنِthe homeland
في قُربِ دارٍ وَفي بُعدٍ مِنَ الوَطَنِ
I left him, after escorting him, lying prostrate,
I left him there, after his funeral, downcast
near a dwelling, and far from home.
In a nearby house, far from his homeland.
لاnot يَستَطيعُhe can اِنتِقاصاًa reduction فيin مَحَلَّتِهِhis dwelling
لا يَستَطيعُ اِنتِقاصاً في مَحَلَّتِهِ
مِنَof القَبيحِthe evil وَلاnor يَزدادُdoes he increase فيin الحَسَنِthe good
مِنَ القَبيحِ وَلا يَزدادُ في الحَسَنِ
In his dwelling, he cannot diminish
He cannot decrease the ugliness of his situation
his evil, nor add to his good.
Nor increase its beauty.
الحَمدُpraise لِلَّهِto God شُكراًin gratitude ماnot أَرىI see سَكَناًa dweller
الحَمدُ لِلَّهِ شُكراً ما أَرى سَكَناً
يَلويturns بِبَحبوحَةِin the midst of المَوتىthe dead عَلىtoward سَكَنِa dweller
يَلوي بِبَحبوحَةِ المَوتى عَلى سَكَنِ
Praise be to God, in gratitude: I see no dweller
Thanks be to God! I see no restful dwelling
turning toward another dweller in the midst of the dead.
That sways with the rocking of the dead.
ماwhat بالُails قَومٍa people وَقَدalthough indeed صَحَّتare sound عُقولُهُمُtheir minds
ما بالُ قَومٍ وَقَد صَحَّت عُقولُهُمُ
فيماaccording to what اِدَّعواthey claimed يَشتَرونَthey buy الغَيَّerror بِالثَمَنِat a price
فيما اِدَّعوا يَشتَرونَ الغَيَّ بِالثَمَنِ
What ails people whose minds are sound,
What's wrong with people whose minds see clearly,
as they claim, who buy error at a price?
Yet they buy illusion paying a price?
لِتَجذِبَنّيwill surely drag me يَدُthe hand of الدُنياthe world بِقُوَّتِهاwith its strength
لِتَجذِبَنّي يَدُ الدُنيا بِقُوَّتِها
إِلىto المَناياdeath وَإِنeven if نازَعتُهاI struggle with it رَسِيَmy rein (probable reading)
إِلى المَنايا وَإِن نازَعتُها رَسِيَ
The world's hand will surely drag me with its strength
The world will pull me with its strength
to death, even if I struggle with it over my rein.
To death, though I resist its rope.
وَأَيُّand what a يَومٍday لِمَنfor one who وافىmet مَنِيَّتَهُhis death
وَأَيُّ يَومٍ لِمَن وافى مَنِيَّتَهُ
يَومٌa day تَبَيَّنُbecomes clear فيهِin it صورَةُthe shape of الغَبَنِloss
يَومٌ تَبَيَّنُ فيهِ صورَةُ الغَبَنِ
And what a day for one who meets his death!
What day for him who met his end
A day when the shape of loss becomes clear.
Clearly shows the image of loss?
لِلَّهِto God (exclamation) دُنياthe world of أُناسٍpeople دائِنينَsubservient لَهاto it
لِلَّهِ دُنيا أُناسٍ دائِنينَ لَها
قَدِindeed اِرتَعَواthey have grazed فيin رِياضِthe meadows of الغَيِّerror وَالفِتَنِand temptations
قَدِ اِرتَعَوا في رِياضِ الغَيِّ وَالفِتَنِ
By God, what a world for people who bow to it!
Some people belong to this world; in debt to it
They have grazed in the meadows of error and temptation,
They pasture in the meadows of sin and strife.
كَسائِماتٍlike grazing beasts رَواعٍpasturing تَبتَغيseeking سِمناًfatness
كَسائِماتٍ رَواعٍ تَبتَغي سِمناً
وَحَتفُهاand their doom لَوif دَرَتthey knew فيin ذَلِكَthat السِمَنِfatness
وَحَتفُها لَو دَرَت في ذَلِكَ السِمَنِ
like pasturing beasts grazing in search of fatness,
Like cattle fattening up, seeking fat -
yet their doom, if they knew, lies in that very fatness.
If only their fatness could save them!
Sol 6.1